My husband, James R. Wilson, and I want to express our appreciation for the excellent care received at Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center this past week.

My husband had a surgical procedure with Dr. Meacham and spent two days on the third floor. The care he received form the doctor and staff there was phenomenal. The personal care and attention were unprecedented. All the staff we had contact with: house keeping, nurse’s aids, LPN’s, RN’s and the Leadership Rounding Team exceeded expectations. Our every concern and question were addressed quickly. Russellville is lucky to have SMRMC.

Sue Wilson Mena

A view of Walmart from an Arkansan

This will be an effort to clarify an AP article on Walmart. Walmart is an Arkansas enterprise that is the largest employer in America. As an example, in Russellville, Walmart employs approximately 400 people in a wide range of responsibilities. The shipping center in Clarksville employs approximately 1,000 people.

In my extended family of kids and grandkids, Walmart employs several, for which we are grateful. As a member of the local veterans organization, I am extremely grateful for their plan to help the economy to employ 100,000 veterans in the next five years. What other employer has pledged a similar future for veterans? I only hope this company goal can be achieved.

They have also pledged to spend $50 billion promoting American products. I am grateful for that goal and whole-heartedly support the accomplishment of the company to move part-time employees into full-time jobs. The critics of Walmart come out of a box which could be labeled union labor, or loyalists voting Democrats.

At this point one question is in order: Why have four car manufacturing plants been opened in Mexico during the past year and not in America? Why have 50-60,000 people moved from California to Texas?

More than likely it is not because of Walmart wages. Big government, taxes, regulations and actual labor costs have something to do with those decisions, as mentioned above. A true community organizer believes everything is screwed up, unless they have fixed all of the unfair practices which exist. Thank God for Walmart! They have some ideas and they have plans to implement them.

In closing, when Walmart wanted to put a shipping center in my hometown, locals tried to determine who would sell land, who would have construction contracts and etc., and the shipping center is located in Clarksville, rather in Morrilton. Russellville has a chance to add a Walmart business on West Main.

As a result, jobs would be added, the tax base would be increased, as competition benefits consumers. What else needs to be said for a “yes” vote for the addition?

I didn’t really need New York or the AP to help me conclude the above or what’s wrong or good with Walmart. Critics of business who serve mankind with jobs, services, needs, etc., are really questionable characters who need their motives examined.

"At this point one question is in order: Why have four car manufacturing plants been opened in Mexico during the past year and not in America?"

Because the largest American multinational corporations in the world import manufactured goods into the United States. Walmart is directly responsible for destroying manufacturing, which is the engine for the economy, and directly connected to our national security.

"As a result, jobs would be added, the tax base would be increased, as competition benefits consumers."

Please allow me to explain this in a way that you can understand.

The amount of money coming in to this jurisdiction is 'fixed'. It will remain constant whether walmart is here or not. The taxes accrued by the city or county is a fixed amount of money whether walmart is here or not. There will not be one additional dollar added or subtracted from the tax base under either scenario. What will happen is that the vendors will be subject to another vendor that can engage in predatory pricing in such a way that it compromises a business such as Kroger from providing jobs that truly do offer their employees benefits and the security of full time employment.

It would be nice if all the warm ans fuzzy fluff that is disseminated by walmart were true, but it is not.